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2447: St Vincent
de Paul, Clapham, London

Mystery
Worshipper: Kenelm.The church:St Vincent
de Paul, Clapham, London.Denomination:Roman
Catholic, Archdiocese
of Southwark.The building:
Built around the turn of the century, the church has a red-brick
exterior. The inside is particularly pleasing: a large high
nave painted cream with half-domed apse above the sanctuary,
supported by faux columns with gold Corinthian capitals. It
was well lit and created a dignified, harmonious environment.The church:
They run a number of the usual groups and activities: music
group, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and a branch
of the St Vincent de Paul society, in keeping with the parish's
dedication.The neighbourhood:
The church is located in Altenburg Gardens, a residential street
running between the bustling shops of Lavender Hill and the
vast open space that is Clapham Common. The transport hub of
Clapham Junction is a couple of hundred yards away.The cast:
The celebrant and preacher was the parish priest, the Revd Msgr
Timothy Galligan. He was assisted by the Revd Mr Jon Dal Din,
deacon, who read the gospel.The date & time:
Feast of St Vincent de Paul (transferred), 30 September 2012,
6.00pm.

What was the name of the service?
Mass.

How full was the building?
Most of the pews had at least two or three people in them: about 120 in total.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
A gentleman handed me a hymnbook and a several pieces of paper.
I don't recall him saying anything, though.

Was your pew comfortable?
It was a standard wooden pew with a fixed, thinly padded kneeler. Plenty comfortable enough for an hour.

How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
In true Catholic style, quite a lot of the congregation arrived at the last minute or slightly after the start of the service. But the atmosphere was generally quiet and prayerful.

What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Good evening and welcome to St Vincent's. The first hymn is number 8."

What books did the congregation
use during the service?
A printed mass sheet with the day's prayers and readings, a
pink sheet with songs used, the Laudate hymn book.
We were also given a flyer for a concert, a newsletter, and
a Catholic Agency For Overseas Development appeal envelope.

What musical instruments
were played?
An amplified acoustic guitar and bongo drums.

Did anything distract you?
The altar servers were very young and seemed a little inexperienced
and the deacon had to shepherd them a bit, which he did very
kindly. But I remember learning to serve, and the fact they
were willing to learn means I couldn't hold anything against
them.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
The mass itself was standard Novus Ordo, and celebrated
reverently. The music, as you probably guessed from the bongo
drums, was fairly happy-clappy.

Exactly how long was the sermon?
8 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
8  Msgr Galligan communicated clearly and structured his
sermon well.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
The church was celebrating its patronal feast, so Msgr Galligan
began with a brief biography of St Vincent de Paul. He then
examined what it was to be a saint, and how saints would not
consider themselves such. He told us that we are all called
to be saints, and that we should strive to make ourselves holy
in our everyday lives, referring to Pope Benedict's speech during
his 2010 visit to the UK. Indeed, he had printed some extracts
from the speech that he handed out at the end of mass.

Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
The dignified celebration of the eucharist, and the silence
during which everyone was united in prayer.

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The music, I'm afraid. While the guitarist and singer were competent,
the songs were completely unknown to me. I love singing, and
the Laudate hymn book is a good one, so it was a great
shame we only sang one hymn from it (the only one I knew). The
congregation joined in only half-heartedly.

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
A couple of parishioners said hello to me, and the deacon greeted
me on the way out, giving me a copy of the Pope's speech.

How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There was none.

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8  I'd like to go to one of the other masses on a Sunday
to see what it is like in comparison to the 6.00pm service.
There was certainly a friendly atmosphere to the parish.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
The simple, yet beautiful inside of the church that was so conducive to prayer.

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